Establishing the packet flow possessing a symmetrical quality of service by negotiating the quality indicator

Abstract

A method for establishing a packet flow with another device over a communication network includes determining a first value of a priority indicator based on the type of data flow and exchanging signaling messages with that other device in order to enable the establishment of the data flow. The first value is inserted into the first of those signaling messages. Upon receiving a signaling message having a received value of that priority indicator, a sent value is determined based on that received value, and inserted into the packets of the packet flow.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A network device comprising:
 means for establishing a packet flow with another device over a communication network, 
 means for determining a first value of a priority indicator based on the type of said packet flow, 
 means for exchanging signaling messages with said other device in order to enable the establishment of said packet flow, 
 means for inserting said first value into a first of said signaling messages, and 
 means for, upon receiving a signaling message comprising a received value of said priority indicator, determining a sent value of the priority indicator based on said received value of the priority indicator and inserting said sent value into the packets of said packet flow, 
 wherein the sent value of the priority indicator is equal to the received value of the priority indicator. 
 
     
     
       2. A network device according to  claim 1 , wherein said sent value is the greater value between said received value and the value determined by said device based on said type of packet flow. 
     
     
       3. A network device according to  claim 1  wherein said priority indicator complies with the DiffServ mechanism, and adapted to insert a third value into the field “DS Field” of said packet flow. 
     
     
       4. A network device according to  claim 1 , adapted to insert said sent value into an attribute compliant with Session Description Protocol (SDP) within said signaling messages. 
     
     
       5. A network device according to  claim 1 , adapted to insert said sent value into a “DS Field” field of the packets of said packet flow. 
     
     
       6. A method for establishing a packet flow with another device over a communication network, comprising:
 determining a first value of a priority indicator based on the type of said packet flow, and 
 exchanging signaling messages with said other device in order to enable the establishment of said packet flow, 
 wherein said first value of the priority indicator is inserted into the first of said signaling messages, 
 wherein, upon receiving a signaling message comprising a received value of said priority indicator, a sent value of the priority indicator is determined based on said received value of the priority indicator and inserted into the packets of said packet flow, 
 wherein the sent value of the priority indicator is equal to the received value of the priority indicator. 
 
     
     
       7. A method according to  claim 6 , wherein said sent value is the greater value between said received value and the value determined by said device based on said type of packet flow. 
     
     
       8. A method according to  claim 6  wherein said priority indicator complies with the DiffServ mechanism, and adapted to insert a third value into the field “DS Field” of said packet flow. 
     
     
       9. A method according to  claim 6 , wherein said sent value is inserted into an attribute compliant with SDP protocol within said signaling messages. 
     
     
       10. A method according to  claim 6 , wherein said sent value is inserted into a “DS Field” field of the packets of said packet flow.